OCEANIC ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

"It’s a photo that I wish didn’t exist but now that it does I want everyone to see it. What started as an opportunity to photograph a cute little sea horse turned into one of frustration and sadness as the incoming tide brought with it countless pieces of trash and sewage. This sea horse drifts long with the trash day in and day out as it rides the currents that flow along the Indonesian archipelago. This photo serves as an allegory for the current and future state of our oceans. What sort of future are we creating? How can your actions shape our planet? Justin Hofman"

Photo @justinhofman

The United Nations held the Ocean Conference 5-9 June, 2017. Coinciding with World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, the event promoted partnerships and actions to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which addresses the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources.

As you will be aware, there has been a major reduction in the world's population of albatross. This is of major concern to us as the albatross has always been the emblem of our association because it is a magical part of the southern oceans. Fifteen out of 22 species of albatross are threatened with extinction. The main threat to albatrosses is death on a hook at the end of a fishing long-line. The Task Force has developed simple and effective ways to keep albatrosses off the hook, including bird-scaring lines, weighted hook lines and setting fishing gear at night. They really work: for example, the number of albatrosses killed by the South African trawl fleet has dropped by 99 per cent.

The Ocean Cleanup develops advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. One passive system could theoretically remove about half the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 10 years. Ocean garbage patches are vast but dispersed. By acting like an artificial coastline, we passively concentrate the plastic by orders of magnitude, 100% powered by natural ocean currents. This presentation provides a good inroduction.

International Association of Cape Horners

President of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson, said: “The Ocean Conference has changed our relationship with the ocean. Henceforth none can say they were not aware of the harm humanity has done to the ocean’s health. We are now working around the world to restore a relationship of balance and respect towards the ocean.”
8 June 2017